The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 09, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 14, 2000
Kouichi Ohtaka, Miyagi, JP;
Eiichi Ohta, Kanagawa, JP;
Mitsugu Irinoda, Miyagi, JP;
Yohichiro Miyaguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Takemoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenichiro Hashimoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Makoto Tanaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Yutaka Ebi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An electrostatic ink-jet head includes an oscillation plate which defines a bottom of a pressurizing chamber. An electrode substrate is bonded to the oscillation plate and includes a recessed portion that defines an internal space between the oscillation plate and the electrode substrate. A curved electrode is arranged on the recessed portion so as to face the oscillation plate via the internal space. When a driving voltage is applied to the electrode, the electrode actuates the oscillation plate via an electrostatic force, so as to pressurize ink in the pressurizing chamber, thereby ejecting an ink drop onto the recording paper. In the ink-jet head, a dielectric layer is provided on at least one of the electrode and the oscillation plate, and the recessed portion of the electrode substrate has a generally concave cross-section taken along shorter sides of the oscillation plate, such that a gap between the electrode and the oscillation plate is gradually decreased from a middle point to ends of the shorter sides.